Chasing Cars
by Skylark Dreams
Summary: Takes place after HBP. After the stunt up at the Astronomy tower, the Malfoy name has fallen into disgrace. Hermione finds him down at the Quidditch pitch and they'll learn just how the other has changed. ONESHOT, COMPLETE.


A/N: Hi everyone! It's been a while since I last posted but I have another one shot here for you! Hope you like it and please review, it makes my day totally :) Hope you're all having a wonderful start to 2012!

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><p>"Look who it is! It's the traitor Malfoy! Still have the cheek to show up here, ferret?"<p>

Hermione dug her fingers into the woolen sleeve of her uniform, trying to hold her tongue. Instead she picked up her feather quill and spun it between her fingers, trying to give her brain something to concentrate on other than the blonde boy that was currently being ridiculed. The one that had kept to himself since the start of the year, and was just seats away from her.

"Not so haughty now, are you? Maybe you've learnt your lesson now!" Ron gloated again beside her. Hermione picked up her textbook angrily.

"Will. You. Stop. It? Some people are trying to study here! And this is a library , mind you!" She hissed, punctuating each word with a hit of the book. Ron winced and turned away, his hand immediately going to his shoulder to soothe the ache that had formed.

"Well Weasely, speaking of learning, don't think you've been doing any lately." Draco smirked at the other man's predicament. Ron opened his mouth to retort but closed it again at the sight of Hermione's textbook. She allowed herself a small smile but avoided Draco's intense gray eyed gaze.

Instead of quieting down and going back to his Potions essay, Ron chose to whine.

"Hermione, it's almost ten, why are we still here? Lights out is in half an hour!" The sheepish look on his face told her that he had yet another illicit meeting with one of his shameless girlfriends. Really, Hermione thought, he was as readable as a book sometimes.

She replied with an incensed glare and started to gather her things. His face lit up at the prospect of returning to their dorms.

"No Ron, you stay here till you finish that Potions essay! I simply can't stand anymore of your griping, I'm leaving." She told him, relishing the look on his crest-fallen face before storming off in a huff as quickly as she could, but not fast enough to miss Draco's smirk and feel the weight of his knowing glance linger on her back.

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><p>She saw him down at the Quidditch pitch. He was stretched out on his back, his familiar bright blonde hair contrasting against the dark of the night.<p>

"Malfoy?" She called out uncertainly, taking a step forward when he didn't reply. Should she have gone nearer before calling? Or maybe called a little louder? Or-

"Granger, stop thinking. I can hear it all the way from here. Thinking is for Ravenclaws, you're one of those Gryffindorks right?" He said with unbelievable snark. She gave an impatient huff.

"No, I'm-" She was cut off from saying anything more when he turned his head to look at her.

Draco Malfoy was beautiful.

His high cheekbones tapered down into a small chin, giving him his boyish angles that made her legs go slightly weak. He had perfect porcelain white skin and she suddenly wanted to run her fingers over his cheek, feel how smooth it was, feel his perfect lips, those that were made to kiss and to be kissed. And there was the wonder of his flaxen blonde hair. Was it as silky as it looked?

"See something you like, Granger?"

Hermione was thankful for the darkness that hid her furious blushing as she pointedly ignored his question by sitting down, leaving a good distance between them,

"Are… are you okay? After what Ron said today."

I'm _fine_ Granger. I'm not that easily wounded." His tone was amused, but it failed to convince her.

"Lies." She whispered, so quietly that he might've missed it had he not been listening for her response keenly.

"Who are you to judge me Granger? You aren't the one who's forced to do something on the threat of your parents' life. You don't have to take orders from_ him_." The last word he said with such vehemence that it sent shivers down her back.

She moved a little closer and looked at him. He refused to meet her gaze. She lay down so that she could see him better. He finally turned to meet her eyes and she didn't quite know how to describe the emotion she saw in his gray eyes. All she knew was that it was pure, raw emotion. Her heart broke a little.

He let his mask of indifference slide back into place.

"There. Happy now?"

"Oh Draco." She sniffed, feeling a sudden influx of tears. "I'm so sorry."

He let a moment of silence span between them before he sat up. She was trying and failing to wipe away her tears by then.

"Well maybe it'll get better if you apologise. Or maybe if you explained to them the reason why you-"

"Shut up for a second Granger." Draco reached for her hand and pulled her in close, aiming his lips toward her bow shaped ones. He met their mouths gently, using his tongue to smooth along her bottom lip, feeling her sobs quieten and her breathing grow steady against his chest.

She pulled away first.

"Malfoy, I'm a _mudblood_." Her use of his last name signaled her distancing of him emotionally and he rolled his eyes.

"I haven't called you that since third year. And I don't care about blood purity anymore. Not since Father was thrown into Azkaban. I've learnt to take everything with a pinch of salt. Even those that come from mummy and daddy dearest." His tone was bitter and laced with pain and he felt her shift closer to him.

Her hand traced patterns on his back and he relaxed slightly.

"How did you react?" When she looked at him, he closed his eyes. "When you found out about Dumbledore."

"I… I didn't know what to say. It was mostly Harry that got dealt the biggest blow…"

Seeing his look of remorse she backtracked quickly, "Draco, you were forced to. It's not your fault. And you didn't even do it after all. You are _not_ a murderer."

"But I helped."

"Draco, you have to learn to forgive yourself before others can begin to forgive you." He turned to fix her with a penetrating stare.

"What if I can't?"

She didn't answer him, but he saw a glimmer of a smile on her lips. She tilted her head back to stare into the sky.

"I can see your constellation from here." A smile tugged its way onto his lips at her comment. Hermione let out a breath into the cold night air.

"Somehow you will. I guess we're in the same boat."

Draco turned to look at her questioningly.

"I guess… I need to forgive myself for the things Ron did to me. I need to learn that just because he doesn't think I'm girlfriend material doesn't mean I'm not good enough." One glance at her face told him that what she'd just said wasn't easy to admit. "I need to find my way," she whispered.

It was Draco's turn to look up at his constellation. "It's right here."

And then he kissed her.

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><p>R&amp;R you guys! ;)<p> 


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